


Differing Tastes

by DustToDust



Category: The Evil Within (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-11-30
Updated: 2016-07-25
Packaged: 2018-02-27 12:45:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 13,990
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2693468
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DustToDust/pseuds/DustToDust
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A living person catching Ruben's interest doesn't happen too often, and it's a shame that he's going to have to let this one go. It's rather obvious he's taken.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I don't know. I started off with one idea and this totally AU idea came out of nowhere. Here be socially inept but mostly functional according to the rules of society Ruben. [No fire] Reading a situation totally wrong.

It’d been the younger man who caught Ruben’s eye first. The cop had stood out among the teeming mess of a crowd that had gathered to become voyeurs to a tragedy. Another body to bag up as another weak willed man succumbed to the pressures of medical school or family.

Suicides always seemed to kick up around the end of the year, and he’s not surprised in the least by it.

He stops to join the crowd of students pretending to be solemn to cover their morbid curiosity only because his boss mandated report requires it. The Dean has got it into his head that a faculty driven research paper into the increase of suicide attempts is exactly what the school needs to reduce the number of such incidents. Why is beyond Ruben but he suspects, as always, that Marcello is behind Valerio bending the older man’s ear for his own benefit.

"Please," the even tone is the first thing that Ruben really hears after assessing what little of the scene he can see that the cops aren’t covering up to the best of their abilities. He follows the voice to a well dressed man who looks to be a good deal more than just the average police officers working behind him. He’s got two gloved hands out in a commanding --if useless-- gesture as he evenly addresses the students who are not listening to him in the slightest. "There’s _nothing_ to see here. I’m going to need you all to leave, and let us-"

His words go right over the gawping heads of people subtly jostling for a look at the body. Much to the officer’s obvious annoyance. A faint line creases his forehead and Ruben appreciates what the emotion does for his face. The man’s attractive enough as it is, and he wears irritation exceedingly well.

From his well kept hair to the tips of his polished shoes he's _exactly_ the type of man that Ruben likes to take apart. A pretty little face with composed personality. Piece by piece over the course of a night, or a few days if he's lucky. Ruben likes seeing how far he has to go, what he has to do to destroy that composure and have the normally controlled men _begging_ him for more.

It’s intriguing enough that Ruben steps close to the line of tape sectioning the area off and raises his own voice. He cuts through the low drone of muttering easily with years of practice of bringing lecture halls of unruly students to order, “The first round of final exams starts in less than twelve hours. I’m sure most of you have better things to do than to ignore orders from a police officer.”

A good portion of the crowd startles and runs for it just from the sound of his voice alone. Students who know him well enough to understand the silent threat to their grades and work load under his words, and the fact that Ruben isn’t one to make it idly. There’s a confused second as others have to actually look to see his face before deciding they do in fact have better things to do. Elsewhere.

It’s a significant decrease in numbers as people who haven’t had the pleasure of taking one of his classes decide to follow the majority of people trickling away. There’s a few stubborn hanger-ons, and Ruben makes note of them to deal with later.

The irritation has increased on the officer’s face when Ruben turns back to him, but it’s not actually aimed at him as the man adjusts his glasses with an almost inaudible huff. “Thank you-“

"Doctor Ruben Victoriano," Ruben offers in the silence that follows. He smiles charmingly and holds out a hand. "Professor to most of those sight seers."

"I see," the man’s sharp eyes rake down Ruben in one glance that’s pure assessment and not quite the kind Ruben would welcome. He takes his hand with a firm grip that doesn't linger. Professional, entirely professional. "I’m Detective Joseph Oda. If I were to show you an ID would you be able to answer a few questions for me?"

Work takes priority for Joseph Oda. Understandable, Ruben admires that trait in people more often than not, and now might not be the best time to be thinking about sex. Most people find it off putting given the fact that there is a dead body not ten feet away. At least according to Laura who has an admitably better grasp on social cues than Ruben himself does.

"I would," Ruben responds and allows himself to glance at the cordoned off area for the first time. A copse of trees that has been been used before. Not even a year ago in fact and that is actually something that is probably relevant. "I may have an idea already."

"Really," the detective pauses in the act of opening a small notebook to give him an interested look. "And what would you have an idea about Doctor Victoriano?"

"Perhaps nothing," Ruben smiles as the avoidance gets him a frown. "The Dean of the school has given me the task of collecting data for a report on suicidal incidents in the school. Attempted and, well.... May I see that ID, just to be sure before I say anything?"

"There’s that high a number of suicides here?" Joseph asks as he pulls out a clear bag from the back of his notebook. A school ID that he hands over carefully, eyes trained on Ruben’s face intently.

"This is a medical school, only dental school has a higher rate of death," oddly enough with art schools coming in third. Ruben takes the card and isn’t surprised in the least at the face that smiles up at him from the picture. "I thought so."

"Any information you can give us would be greatly appreciated," Joseph prompts, a pen poised over the paper that’s angled away from Ruben’s gaze. He’s attentive and honestly interested in what Ruben has to say. He misses the irritation already, and he thinks about the incident reports he's been charged with to extract data from. It might be worth it to use those to get the officer away from the scene for a bit.

"Robert Pline," Ruben recites because nothing of what he has to say is anything that needs to be kept hidden. "He committed suicide in this area at the beginning of the semester. Hung himself because his lover had broken off a three year relationship with him," Ruben returns the ID to the officer and nods at it. "Daniel Smith here was afraid of coming out to his family from what I understand and Robert had not been satisfied with that. He issued an ultimatum before classes started and was not pleased with the result. I suppose Daniel felt guilty over it. I can’t really say, he didn’t have any lectures with me this semester."

A sad story, Ruben supposes going by the way Joseph is frowning, but really it's all just a-

"What a fucking waste," the sudden sharp scent of tobacco comes with the rough growl of Ruben's own thoughts. He turns his head enough to eye the man he didn’t notice was coming up behind him. He’s dressed in a suit with a tie and vest, but somehow still manages to look disheveled despite it all looking clean. The obvious straps of a gun holster under the crisp folds of his coat place him as another officer as he grinds out the ember of a spent cigarette on the bottom of his shoe. Light brown eyes do a quick assessment of Ruben as the detective moves to stand between them. "It’s always the stupid shit that people kill themselves over."

"Sebastian!" Joseph snaps, sharp and the irritation is back again. Tempered with exasperation and a familiarity that goes along all too well with the name of the other officer. "It’s not stupid to the person suffering through this. For him it was inescapable."

"And rather stupid," Ruben puts in just to see that irritation get turned on him. The detective next to him, Sebastian, barks out a sharp laugh. Ruben frowns as a heavy arm finds its way around his shoulder without his consent and he gets pulled into the warm side of the man.

"Stupid is stupid," Sebastian agrees and reaches out with his other hand to flick at Joseph's notebook. Getting a heated glare for his actions before he turns to look down at Ruben with a smile. Ruben’s never actually seen a grin that fit the phrase ‘shit eating’ so well before. "Hey, doc, don’t suppose you have anything about Pline that we can get a copy of, do you?"

Ruben frowns as the man subtly starts to lean his weight on him. Pushing him away from the yellow tape and Joseph.

"I do, yes," Ruvik reaches up and pinches at a nerve hidden in the fleshy part of the human hand. Right between the forefinger and thumb. The officer hisses out a curse and Ruben uses the opportunity to duck out from under the arm. The older detective is still grinning when he puts some breathing space between them. "You should have a great deal more information than I do though."

"Yes," Joseph says readily. Eyes narrowed on Sebastian and looking moments away from a strange sort of violence. "I can-"

" _We_ can use all the assistance we can get," Sebastian interrupts smoothly. He grins when Joseph shoots him an annoyed glare. "You just might have something that never made it into the reports, doc."

Joseph's eyes are rolling and Ruben's interest is cooling fast. The longer he spends in the two detectives' company to more he finds _himself_ getting annoyed by the easy back and forth he sees between the two men. An easy going relationship that just might be more than that of colleagues or friends given the way the older man is edging pointedly between Ruben and Joseph. A nonverbal back off message.

His ability to read social cues like that is usually lacking, and he's learned to back off fast when he does finally see the signs. It's never worth it having to fight through emotional entanglements for a single night. No matter how nicely he thinks Joseph would look on his knees.

"It will take me some time to have the information copied," Ruben takes another large step back and gives a polite smile to them both this time. Small and constrained like he'd always been told to smile growing up. "What email should I send it too?"

"A hard copy would be best if it's not too much trouble," Joseph says with a wry shrug. "It's easier to deal with physical copies in cases, you know?"

"Not really," digital copies are his preferred method whenever possible. It cuts down on unnecessary interactions, and the kind of human error that's enough to drive Ruben insane. "I won't be able to get you anything sooner than tomorrow that way though."

"Tomorrow works," Joseph says after looking at the other man. "Do you have a preferred time? You mentioned finals will be starting."

"I have a TA," Ruben says and finds one of his cards in the briefcase he's carrying. It has his office number and location on it which will be the next inevitable questions. He holds it out and isn't surprised when it gets snatched out of the air by Sebastian before Ruben can even make a move towards Joseph. "Honestly, he will know my own schedule better than I."

And will also be perfectly capable of dealing with the detectives himself which might just be the best option right now.

"If that's all?" Ruben takes another few steps back without waiting for an answer. He nods at them both and smiles again before turning to continue his trek out to his car. "Good day, detectives."

~

"I know you've at least _heard_ the word 'subtle' before," Joseph starts because he loves to bitch Sebastian out any chance he's given, and this chance, Sebastian will admit, has been served up on a silver platter. "In fact, I've seen you be downright diabolical about it a time or two."

"Shut it, Joseph," Sebastian says but he knows his grin doesn't make it as angry sounding as he means it. "Jesus, you saw him. I can't help going a little off track for attractive spitfires like that."

"You've managed before," Joseph moves as the coroner comes trudging by them. A formality really but they've been surprised before.

"You know you still owe me for that date with Kidman...." Sebastian trails off suggestively and gets a groan out of his partner for it.

"One," Joseph adjusts his glasses again. The frames are too big for his face but he refuses to get new ones. "That was not a 'date'. That was you locking us in the armory for a day and threatening not to let us out."

"It worked didn't it?"

" _Two_ ," Joseph continues as if Sebastian said nothing. "I have no intention of watch you make an even bigger idiot out of yourself than usual. So I was already planning on letting you pick up that info on your own."

"You are the best partner ever," Sebastian declares seriously. Joseph shakes his head in mock disgust that doesn't fool Sebastian one bit. There's a crooked slant to his mouth from a withheld pleased smile. "Much better than that cockblock, Braun."

Dodging the sharp elbow is really second nature by now to Sebastian.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And I'm realizing with this AU I can write Laura. I am no longer guilty about anything at all that I write here now.

Ruben forgets about the detectives after ordering the needed copies with his TA who has changed his hair color yet again. How the boy thinks he can get a steady job anywhere in the medical field with chameleon hair is beyond Ruben. The exams he proctors are low level, basic courses. The rooms he enters are still filled with that special scent of dread, stress, and students who’ve studied so much they’ve forgotten how to properly use a shower.

It’s always a special kind of torture that’s fascinating to watch. Over the years Ruben’s been able to identify six common kinds of coping behavior that only seems to exist the last few weeks of each semester. If it didn’t involve following students back to whatever hole they call home, Ruben would have written a few papers about it already.

He’s finished with the last test of the day and takes a well deserved break in his office. Immersing himself in his research and drafting up a series of sham research proposals to get shot down mercilessly by Marcelo hard enough that his true proposal will squeak by with more pity than anything else. It’s a delicate balance that he has down to a precise formula by now.

“‘scuse me,” the words come with a sharp rap on the side of the open office door that pulls Ruben out of some vague thoughts of wondering if he can fly a proposal to study how Marcelo’s spine can bend so naturally to allow his head to fit up his ass. He looks away from his computer and the half written proposal to find the rougher detective lurking in the door.

"Detective," Ruben drawls out slowly and looks back at his screen for the time. It tends to fly when Ruben’s immersed in the necessary bullshit to continue his research. He’s not surprised to see how many hours have passed or note that the desk his TA uses is empty. What he is surprised at is the detective’s presence in the school. "I’m fairly sure the doors are locked at this hour."

"I’m a cop," Sebastian offers like that’s an answer. He hooks the chair from the spare desk and pulls it up to sit in front of Ruben. "It’s about time for you to leave anyway isn’t it?"

Beyond time actually. “I stay late when needed. Did my TA not take care of the papers you needed?”

No. Ruben can see that now because there’s a packet of paper ready in the tray on the other desk. The familiar scrawl of Valerio’s notation on the cover sheet enough for Ruben to identify it.

"Busy day," Sebastian, Ruben dredges the name up, says with a grin. "I tried coming in earlier but something always seems to come up when I have other shit to do. Bobby said you tended to stay late though."

Bobby? Ruben frowns a moment before remembering that is in fact his TA’s name. He normally doesn’t bother himself with anything beyond hey-you with them. They don’t tend to last long enough around him to make the effort worth it.

"I see," Ruben doesn’t really and takes the time to log off and shut down his computer before unhooking the external hard drive he stores everything in. He puts it away in his briefcase before standing up. One stolen project has been more than enough to make him paranoid about his data. "This should have everything you need to- Detective?"

Ruben turns back with the report to find the man leaning over his desk and looking intently at the small framed photo next to his screen. The one he only keeps there because Laura likes to drop in at random and will take it upon herself to leave far more embarrassing photographs out if that one isn’t there. It’s a picture of them both the day Ruben turned eighteen and they were both legally free of their parents.

"Huh," Sebastian says and his face is a little strange when he straightens up. His voice is very even though. "Girlfriend?"

"Sister," Ruben says and narrows his eyes at the man. He holds the report out and places himself between the rest of his things and the man. "Have a good night, detective."

"Thanks, I will," he takes the report with a lopsided grin. Snapping the paper he leaves with more cheer than Ruben thinks anyone should have for such a simple chore.

Ruben watches him leave before looking over his desk suspiciously. Nothing looks disturbed aside from a stapler near the edge. Nothing really important is visible immediately and there wasn’t enough time for the cop to dig deeper. The picture seems to have been his sole objective. The question as to Ruben’s relationship with his sister pressing enough to get a reaction out of him.

It makes no sense though. The detective had seemed _happy_ when Ruben answered, and from his behavior the other day it would make sense that he would be happier if Ruben had said she was a lover and not his sister.

He’s putting too much thought into a brief interaction. Ruben snorts and dismisses it all from his mind. His part in interacting with the police is done now, and his role in the entire affair will be over once he adds the data of this event to his growing paper. Then he can move on to something more relevant hopefully.

Ruben continues to pack up and lock down. His train of thought has been interrupted and he’s as likely to pick it back up at home as he is in the office. The difference is he will be far more comfortable at his apartment than in the office he isn’t due back into until noon.

The halls are still lit, but silent. Even the night crew of janitors and repairmen absent from this building as Ruben lets himself out through the door closest to the faculty parking lot. The night is crisp and cold, and scented with the smell of smoke.

"Not too bad for December," Sebastian flicks his butt into a potted plant that’s used by nearly everyone despite the school having a strict no smoking policy in place. "Used to be everything would be covered in layers of snow by now. Can’t say I don’t mind the snow not lasting as long anymore."

Ruben frowns and pulls the soft ends of his scarf up higher because it’s still awfully cold. “I suppose.”

He steps away from the door and is dismayed when Sebastian falls into step with him. He wonders if this is some sort of game. A cop game, and that there’s something more about Smith than he’d thought. He’s ready to believe it when he sees the only other car in the lot is right next to his. A nondescript car that seems to scream ‘official use only’. Ruben ignores it and his shadow as he heads straight for his car. Unlocking it with a press of the keyfob in his hand, but a hand on his arm stops him from opening the driver’s door.

The detective backs off when he knows he’s got Ruben’s attention. He smiles and it looks like it’s supposed to be a charming smile. “What’s your opinion on Italian food?”

"Why?" Ruben asks and doesn’t bother hiding any of his suspicion at all. He’s coming to the conclusion that he’s read things wrong again somehow, somewhere, and that he’s going to need to throw out all of his suppositions to start over again.

"Well, it’d kinda suck if I asked you out to dinner and it turned out you hated cannoli or something," Sebastian says and his charming grin turns playful. "Since the best place I know to impress you is an Italian place down on Lewen."

Ruben actually knows the place he’s talking about, and it is a good place to eat at. Laura loves the cannoli there actually and forces him to treat her there once a month. That information is irrelevant though as he rips away everything he’s thought was happening and replaces it with the fact that he’s being asked out.

It doesn’t make sense or compute with anything he’s observed, but it’s clear he’s misconstrued things. It’s best for him to start with the solid facts now and work his way out to the why and how. Two things that Ruben finds he surprisingly wants to learn now.

"I know the place," Ruben reaches for the door again and isn’t stopped from opening it and carefully placing his briefcase between the two front seats. He slides into the driver’s sear and looks up at Sebastian before closing the door. "If you’re offering to pay I wouldn’t say no to meeting you there for a good dinner."

Sebastian’s smile grows into a grin that’s all pleased as Ruben shuts the door and pulls away.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fffffff! I am not getting side tracked. I am not.

Sebastian --"Castellanos, and stop calling me detective or officer, I'm off duty now."-- is not the type of guy that Ruben prefers to take to bed.

Ruben's preferred type are pretty and slim. Easy going men with enough control to make cracking them apart fun. Men full of themselves on their good looks who will stick around a few hours and then take off without looking back. Easy and forgettable men who won't care if Ruben never calls them or says their name. That's his preferred type but it's not the totality of what he looks for to take to bed or the nearest flat surface.

What Ruben looks for in a fuck ultimately boils down to willingness --to both have sex _and_ do it the way Ruben wants-- and good enough looks that Ruben doesn't have to close his eyes to make orgasm easier.

Sebastian has one of those qualities down nicely enough. He's attractive enough that looking at him isn't a hardship, but it's more handsome than pretty. Relying on the roughness of his looks and the size of his body --impressively more muscled than Ruben had thought once he took off that ever present coat-- than in any aesthetically pleasing feature. There's scars on his face and hands from a physically active and dangerous life, but the deep lines on his face ease as he relaxes in the dim lighting of the restaurant.

His hands are broad and sure as he flips the menu open for a brief moment before placing his order with the waiter. Ruben finds himself reflecting on his fingers and wondering how they might feel against his skin. Ruben gives his own order easily after catching himself watching those hands a bit more than he should. _Ideas_ already unfolding in his mind.

So, yes, Ruben finds Sebastian attractive enough to fuck, and Sebastian seems very willing to take him up if the offer gets extended. Two thirds of what Ruben looks for are already certain. The one factor that's going to determine the outcome of the night still needs to be determined though. 

Finding out exactly _how_ willing the man is.

"I've been told that picking up people so close to a dead body is considered morbid," Ruben starts with their first meeting. Looking to dissect it a bit more and look at their interactions with a different light. "I was under the impression you genuinely needed that report."

"I'm a working man with very little free time," Sebastian says as he takes a bread stick and breaks it up into smaller pieces absently. Not eating any of it until the whole thing is broken up. "If I waited for proper times I'd never get out at all. Besides, I'm a homicide detective. Morbid comes with the territory and loses a lot of meaning with me."

"I was also under the impression you were involved with the other detective," Ruben slides the observation in and is rewarded with a loud laugh that ends as a bit of the bread makes its way to the wrong area.

Sebastian pushes away from the table and coughs loud enough to draw stares. A waiter starts to come over with a worried look and Ruben waves him off. Waiting patiently for Sebastian to get his breathing back under control. He's not choking and interference from others is not needed and can only make it worse after all.

"No," Sebastian grits out once he's calmed and taken a few drinks from the water left to them. His voice is gravelly from the effort and Ruben revises his opinion from 'attractive enough' to 'attractive period'. "Why does everyone think cops and their partners are hooking up?"

"Statistically speaking," Ruben offers because he has the numbers. Not published or official, but number from a life time of observing. "People who work closely together are extremely likely to form relationships."

"Ah, hell, guess I can't really argue that," Sebastian reaches one arm back to rub the back of his neck. "Joseph's dating a rookie we mentored. Spent too much time with her I guess."

"It happens," frequently and all too often among his colleagues. Never mind the student body. "Are those papers even useful at all, or were they just an excuse?"

"Both, I like to multitask," Sebastian says and leans back as their steaming plates are brought out. "I didn't look through all of it, but I did see a point or two that weren't in the reports filed with the precinct. Smith wasn't the only one with family that didn't approve."

Understandable. Record checks on both young men paint them as seemingly coming from wealthy back grounds. They had no grants or student aid on file, and their tuition was paid promptly each semester. Despite what popular opinion is on the wealthy Ruben's yet to find a family with that background that is totally supportive of lifestyles still considered 'deviant' by a good number of people.

"I wouldn't think that you'd need to put so much effort into two incidents of suicide," Ruben's rarely dealt with the police before on any of the other incidents. Usually once it's been declared a suicide they leave the family and school alone to clean up the mess.

"Hasn't been called yet, and procedure requires us to be thorough," Sebastian shrugs casually, light brown eyes flicking up to study him with that assessing gaze that Ruben's starting to recognize as cop suspicion. It's there and gone in seconds. "Enough with the depressing stuff though. I'm off duty and trying to impress you, not disturb you."

"I worked my way through school on a scholarship earned through working as an assistant in the morgue at a mental institution," Ruben says in his blandest voice and smirks when Sebastian's eyes widen just a fraction with unease. "Some people would say I was born disturbed for doing that. I doubt you have anything to say that could actually bother me."

"Really?" Sebastian hums thoughtfully and then points a loaded fork at him in a vaguely challenging manner. "You know what? I'll bet you anything I can."

"Anything is a dangerous promise, Sebastian," Ruben says as he considers it. He doesn't know how far the man is willing to go, but a lost bet is almost as good as certainty. A rough man like Sebastian surely has a lot rolled up in his pride. Enough to not back down from a bet. "But I'll take it."

A slow smile spreads across Sebastian's face and he reaches out over the table. Ignoring the inconveniently placed candle to take hold of Ruben's free hand. A rough thumb runs gently over the back of it. "It's not dangerous if I mean it."

Really, Ruben would think that a police officer would know better. "I can assure you that's completely wrong."

"Did you know that when I first saw you my heart nearly stopped beating?" Sebastian says with a coy little smile that might be charming to some people but makes Ruben want to shift back and away from it. 

"What are you-?" Ruben grips his fork tightly and stares hard at the man. Flirting like Ruben's never seen a man flirt with another man before. He looks like every other love sick fool Ruben's been forced to deal with in his life time.

"You're beautiful and perfect, Ruben," Sebastian continues airily. He leans up from his chair enough to lean over the table and brings Ruben's hand up at the same time. His lips brush against his fingers like the fluttering of moth wings as he stares intently at Ruben. "I can't imagine what my life would be like without having met you. I know it's a bit early but would you-"

"Stop that!" Ruben hisses and yanks his hand away from the clearly deranged man. His fork now shifted from an eating position to a more dangerous one. "What the hell is wro-!" His words stop, lodged in his throat as the coy smile on Sebastian's face melts into a broad, victorious grin, and realization hits Ruben hard and fast. "You son of a bitch."

"That's fairly accurate, yes," Sebastian sits back in his chair and _laughs_ at him. No sign of the rather sickening looks from just a few moments before left on his face. "Looks like I won though."

"And what is it that you think you've won, exactly?" Ruben manages to get out through a stiff jaw. Anger at the ease with which he was both read and played hot in his veins.

"I don't know," Sebastian says with frank honesty. He's not being charming or coy or flirtatious at all when he leans his weight on one elbow to look Ruben in the eyes. There's appreciation in there, but the only other thing Ruben sees is lust. A base and familiar feeling that Ruben's used to handling. "But I think you're going to tell me _exactly_ what I can and cannot have for the rest of the night."

It's like having ice dumped into his veins followed by a different wave of heat. Something to cool the anger and reignite that interest that's been simmering since the initial offer of dinner. Fueled a little more by a need to get back at the man for that little trick. 

Sebastian is not Ruben's usual type, but the way he waits patiently and willingly for Ruben's word makes him not really care at all. He's attractive, and, apparently, more than willing enough, and that's really all Ruben can ask for. Ruben smiles. His real smile, the one that makes everyone but Laura wary of him. Everyone but Laura and now Sebastian as he doesn't flinch or startle back from him at all. "Get the check then."


	4. Chapter 4

Ruben wakes up wonderfully sated and alone.

It’s been far too long since he last took the time to take someone to bed, and while he hadn’t taken the time to fully take Sebastian apart he’d made ample use of the man’s body. Enough to make the aggravation of the past few days worth it.

He checks the time before crawling out of his bed. He’s got hours still to go before he needs to proctor another round of soul crushing exams. Enough time to eat and indulge himself with a little lazing around. Just a little though.

Ruben pulls on a loose pair of sweats because the probability of Laura showing up unannounced goes up to a near certainty if he’s not wearing clothing. Though that doesn't seem to matter because he can hear the rustling sound of someone in the kitchen when he opens the bedroom door. He briefly considers going back for a shirt, because he's not sure if there are any marks on him or not. There probably are given the smug demeanor of the man he took to bed last night.

The night did not go exactly as he expected it to, but it was still more than enjoyable enough that he'd thought about being disappointed in waking alone. Pushing the matter from his mind, Ruben forgoes the shirt and heads to the kitchen. Laura will know either way and there's not much sense in hiding anything.

It's not Laura he finds using his kitchen though.

It’s Sebastian, and Ruben stops to stare at the broad, marked --and Ruben can’t help feeling rather proud of _how_ marked-- back stooping a little over his stove. The smell of food cooking fills the air as he stops to consider this unexpected turn. Ruben really has no experience in morning afters. Those dreadful things that people bemoan don’t really happen to him. All his partners know to be gone in the morning if not sooner, and Ruben hadn't actually considered Sebastian would have stayed.

"You’re still here?" Ruben asks with a mix of consternation and curiosity.

"You caught me," Sebastian says as he moves and Ruben can now see the spatula in his hand even though the man doesn’t turn to look at him. "Sorry, Ruben, the sex was great but I was really using you just to steal breakfast from you."

Ruben's often been told that his sense of humor is lacking by his colleagues, but truthfully he can't be bothered to respond to their often juvenile attempts at levity. Not that his lack of response seems to bother Sebastian. He turns his head enough that Ruben can see the broad grin stretching across his face as he asks, "Omelet?"

"I have tests to administer," Ruben puts out as Sebastian slides two neat looking omelets onto a pair of waiting plates. There's hints of green and red and yellow in them that Ruben cannot immediately identify, but the smell as he sits assures him he won't need to identify them to enjoy it. "It is the end of the semester."

"Lots of stress at the school, right?" Sebastian doesn't take the hint and after the first bite of the food, Ruben's inclined to let the man linger. Just a little while longer. "This the time of year you get a lot of suicides?"

"Usually. The fall semester sees an uptick in numbers. Most likely due to the high number of family holidays bracketing the end of classes," Ruben is passable at cooking. Enough to keep himself fed if he doesn't feel like going out to pay for his meals. Sebastian clearly doesn't have that same problem. "Are the police truly interested in this?"

The whole matter had seemed forgone to him. He'd made inquiries about Smith since his body was found and his grades had slipped rather dramatically since Pline died. That combined with the matter of his family had fit as well with any other reason people had for ending their lives.

"Sorry, can't discuss the details of open cases," Sebastian says. Looking neither sorry nor upset that the conversation has turned around to dead people. Another thing that Laura's assured Ruben is not appropriate for conversation. Especially over breakfast. "But we are taking this case very seriously, and may need further cooperation from the school on it. That gonna be a problem?"

"No, it won't," Ruben states even though the man already has everything the school has. What more could the police want?

"Great," Sebastian's grin is blindingly bright as he scrapes off the last bit of food on his plate and stands. He stretches a bit and Ruben is caught a little off guard by how the play of muscles distracts him. Almost enough to not register the man's words as he pulls on a shirt and coat left on a counter, "Then I'll be seeing you around, Ruben. Thanks for getting the dishes."

Sebastian's gone before the words register. A bundle of clothing under one arm and a slight whistle that gets cut off by the door. There's two sets of plates and at least three pans on the stove. Ruben scowls at the mess and rather thinks he won't be seeing the detective again. Unfortunate because he's thinking of some rather unpleasant things to do to get back at him for this as he gets up to tend the dishes.


	5. Chapter 5

Much to Ruben's surprise he does see Sebastian again later that night when he's walking up to his apartment, and then in the morning for an early breakfast because they both have to work. A lunch gets worked in somehow during the last week of the school session, followed by a few dinners, and Ruben's irritated by the rather knowing looks he's starting to get from colleagues as the winter break starts. Sebastian starts showing up more often once Ruben's work schedule is mostly cleared and manages to pull him away from the backlog of journals and publications Ruben _needs_ to get through in the next two weeks.

It is the strangest relationship Ruben's ever had and the thought is enough to make him act rashly. He sends a text to Laura that all but screams 'help'.

_I think I might be dating someone._

He sends the text around noon in a moment of weakness after debating if his suspicions are worth speaking about. He goes back to finish the journal he's been putting off reading for two days now. Marcelo is having a hard time properly defending the ideas he stole and it's quite entertaining watching him flounder for answers Ruben himself can reel off with ease. It's also a good dry run to let him know what exactly he needs data for later on.

There is no return text when he sets the journal aside and he picks the phone up to frown at it. Even at her busiest Laura will drop everything to respond to him. Unless she's sleeping or her phone is dead for some reason. Ruben frowns but the first is far more likely than the second, and she'll get back to him in an hour or two. Groggy and still giggling over whatever artsy event kept her up the night before.

He moves to the kitchen and is debating between two bottles of wine. One aged and with a nice fruity taste that promises to be well worth the money he spent on it. The other a significantly larger bottle with the three digit sale price sticker still on it. Made and bottled with no other goal in mind besides getting people drunk. He's leaning towards the latter bottle when he hears the metallic slide of a key in the lock.

"Ruben!" Laura's voice echoes over the slam of the door seconds before she flies into the kitchen. Her hair is up in a messy ponytail and her hands have the telltale splotches of colors from a day of painting. Her shirt is oversized and wrinkled on top of being stained. If she's wearing shorts of any kind under it he can't tell at a glance.

Ruben sees all of this in a split second before she's on him. Hands everywhere as she pushes him onto a chair.

"Who is he? How much of an asshole is he? Where did you meet him? Does he have a job?" Her fingers spider out across his face, the hint of her nails on his cheeks vaguely threatening as if the wild look in her eyes wasn't enough of a threat. " _Tell me everything!_ "

"I," Ruben struggles because talking with her wrenching his head around as she checks him over is hard to do. "Laura!"

"You're not bruised. Not obviously," Laura frowns in suspicion and he has to grab her hands before she can pull up his shirt. "What? You can't be having any fun if he's not leaving a few hickies on you. What kind of boyfriend is this man anyway?"

"Hopefully not any kind," Ruben sighs as Laura backs off. Taking it on herself to pick up the large bottle of wine and two coffee mugs. He has the proper glasses for wine but Laura insists on using mugs. Getting some weird thrill at the thought of how many relatives would disown them for that alone if they hadn't already done so years ago. "I don't even know if we are dating."

"You either are or you are not. It's not something you can get confused over," Laura expertly pulls the cork over the sink and brings both mugs and the bottle to the table. She looks at him briefly before sitting. "Alright. _You_ can get confused over it but it's really a simple thing to figure out."

"Enlighten me," Ruben doesn't bother tasting or savoring the wine. He drains it fast so that his tongue can start to numb up and not trip over the taste.

"The fact that you've obviously been with someone long enough to wonder is big sign number one," Laura refills his mug and tops her own off. "You don't do more than one night stands. This guy --whose name you will be giving to me-- is hanging around beyond that. Right? Do you do anything besides have sex?"

"Not for lack of trying," Ruben eventually says after mentally tallying up each encounter with Sebastian. They're dead even in sexual encounters and nonsexual encounters. "His name is Sebastian and you're right. I'm not," he grimaces and tops his own cup off this time, " _used_ to this kind of thing. It's never happened before."

"Don't sound so happy about it," Laura snorts and pushes her legs out under the table until she can put her feet on his legs. "I'll call it a good thing as soon as you start giving me answers on this Sebastian. Where'd you meet?"

"On campus. Another student committed suicide-"

"You didn't hit on someone over that did you? Ruben, tell me you didn't!"

"-and one of the detectives in charge of it started hitting on me," Ruben says to see Laura blink, taken aback. "Really, Laura? Since when do I flirt with people?"

"You don't flirt, you hit on them. Two or three vague questions followed up by a blunt 'lets fuck' are not flirting," she dismisses with an irreverent hand flip. "So, a cop. Wow Ruben. I think that's the one profession outside of the trauma medical field where the presence of a dead body isn't seen as a deterrent to getting it on. Good job there."

Ruben's fairly sure she's being sarcastic. It can be hard to tell with her sometimes. Especially when Laura feels like making life difficult for him.

"So he has a job, a decent enough one. Is he an asshole?"

"Yes," Ruben scowls both for the fact that Laura takes that as a given as much as for the fact that it's true.

"Good. The world hasn't gone out of alignment too much then," Laura settles. A mental shift more than a physical one. She looks thoughtful now and for one terrible moment he's sure she's going to demand to meet him.

His experience with Laura's flings, casual fuck buddies, and two week dates have taught him that most people take meeting family as a sign of commitment. An unfortunate assumption that amuses Laura but rather unsettles Ruben the few times he's meet some doe eyed young man with too wide smile. All of whom had tried their best to impress him as Ruben stared them down wondering why it would be considered a crime to remove their brains from them. Clearly they weren't using them.

"Well then," Laura digs her toes into his legs to bring his attention back to her. "How do you feel about the fact you're dating this Sebastian?"

Mystified mostly. Baffled over _how_ it happened. Everything he knows about relationships suggests a rather rigid and ordered approach to initiating one. Steps Ruben has never seen a point it bothering himself with as the effort and inconvenience never seemed worth the little reward that came with it.

The annoying inconveniences aren't happening though. All the things he's observed in other relationships have yet to pop up. Sebastian doesn't call except to give a time and place for meeting for dinner. He doesn't smother Ruben with obnoxious displays of affection except for when he _means_ to be an obnoxious prick. Ruben's life has remained largely unaffected excepting the occasional interruption of Sebastian's presence, which is not as annoying as it should be really. The benefits of getting the man in bed obviously act as a counter.

"It's acceptable," Ruben admits slowly because that's the truth. "For the moment at least."

"Good," Laura leans back in her chair and sips at her mug slowly. A thoughtful look settling on her face like a cloud of bad ideas that Ruben knows to be wary of. "Now, let's talk about what your cop boyfriend looks like. Do you have a picture? Tell me he's wearing his uniform in it."

Ruben sighs and reaches for the bottle again.


	6. Chapter 6

The man is the large, well muscled type with an almost professionally blank expression on his face that makes him look like he'd rather be anywhere else but the inside of Ruben's apartment. The woman, by contrast, has large eyes that seem to bleed with a false sincerity that makes his teeth itch. He'd much rather deal with the man than her, but she's the one who breaks the silence first.

"I'm sorry, there's no real easy way to say this," her voice grates along Ruben's nerves too, and only the light touch of Laura's hand on his arm stops him from requesting she shut up. It's warning and reminder that these two are _police officers_. "There was a car accident the other night. Your parents were involved. They did not make it. I'm very sorry for your loss."

Dead. Ruben stares for a moment as he feels Laura go stiff next to him. It's surprise that takes them both, but that doesn't last long. It was only a matter of time before they were bound to get this visit after all and Ruben's rather surprised at the lack of pleasure he feels. Has it been so long since he's seen their parents that his hate has turned to apathy? After a thoughtful minute he realizes that it has. They were strangers long before he'd left their care, and the years of non contact have cemented that feeling.

He's rather pleased by that.

"Was it painful?" Ruben asks when the silence drags on expectantly.

"No," the woman smiles reassuringly, "it was quick and easy. They felt nothing at all."

Pity. Ruben keeps that thought to himself though as Laura’s nails suddenly dig into his arm. All ten of them which must be painful considering her thumbs aren’t as flexible as most people’s.

"I’m," Laura stops and clears her throat, blinking rapidly as her face starts to turn blotchy. She sniffles a little and looks pathetic in the broadest sense of the word. "I’m sorry, but could you...?"

"Of course," the woman stands and the man follows suit. Both bowing their heads with professional regret. "We’ll see ourselves out."

They’re gone quickly. Job to notify finished and already onto better things as Laura buries her face against his shoulder, her own shoulders jerking convincingly for a few seconds until she hears the sound of the front door clicking shut behind them. She waits for another minute before pulling away and punching him solidly in the shoulder.

"Was it painful?!" She hisses out in a whispered scream. "You can’t ask that kind of question, Ruben!"

"It’s a perfectly reasonable question," he protests as he leans back as far as she’ll let him get. "People asked it all the time when I worked at the coroners."

"They ask that when someone dies of a heart-attack or natural causes. Not a car wreck!" Laura wails lowly. A car crash seems pretty natural to Ruben considering how much their father liked to drink, but it’s not the point she’s trying to make. "You ask that and they’ll start to think you had something to do with it, Ruben!"

Laura pauses and straightens up to her full height to stare him straight in the eyes. Suspicion thick on her face as she cautiously asks, "Ruben, where were you last night?"

"Underneath Sebastian," Ruben says before frowning at her. "Really, Laura, if I had anything to do with that I would have called you from the scene laughing about it and telling you to open up some champagne."

"Well, good. I don’t have to make an alibi for you," Laura sighs and pulls away a bit more. Her hands immediately start to fuss with his hair and the wrinkles in his shirt she put there. "And it’s nice to hear Sebastian’s keeping you entertained. Honestly, I didn’t think a man his age could be that active."

"We’re the same age," Ruben huffs even though he knows that the stress of his job adds years to Sebastian’s face. Enough that it’d fooled Ruben as well. "You’re older than us."

"I know, and every man I take to bed is at least a decade or more younger than I am for a good reason," done fussing over him she pulls out her phone to use the camera and study her face critically. Wiping away any evidence of her fake tears at the 'terrible' news.

Ruben's own disdain for their parents is really only rivaled by Laura who had put up with them far longer than she had to out of sororal love. Sticking around to make things bearable until they could both get away and not be able to be dragged back to them by the law. Laura had tried that once and they'd learned from it. Eighteen was the magical number needed to escape.

"Why would they inform us of their death?" Ruben asks because they both were served with a rather thick packet of letters and legal papers shortly after Ruben became an adult that boiled down to them being disowned. "I doubt we're listed as next of kin any longer."

"Who knows? Maybe we are," Laura stretches her legs out a bit before rocking back and then up to standing. She wanders back into the kitchen where their interrupted dinner is. The sweats she'd borrowed without asking drag along the floor and she has to hitch them up once or twice before settling back down in front of her pad thai. "We won't get anything from them, but they had to tell someone. I doubt the church would want to know."

No, all their money will no doubt go to their precious church. Ruben wonders if the church will use any of that money to bury two of their most ardent supporters. He has no intention of arranging anything more than the cheapest cremation and a trip to the closest trash can if it's going to be left to him.

Laura picks at her food as Ruben sits back down. A frown marring her face and he waits patiently. "They might come back. The detectives, when they find out we were disowned."

"Let them," Ruben adds more to his own plate. Unconcerned with the possibility. "I'm sure they'll get a toxicology report back with Ernesto's blood alcohol content that will take all their attention off of us. It's not like either of us would have to work hard to pour a few bottles down his throat even if we were trying to set their deaths up."

"You don't worry enough," Laura says as she delicately picks up a noodle to throw at him. It lands half on his plate and half on his wrist. "I'll bet if I told Sebastian about this he'd have a cow. He's a cop, he knows how they think. Suspiciously."

"And how would you tell Sebastian?" Ruben asks suspicious himself now. Laura's sly smile doesn't help in the least. "Laura."

"If you're not going to put a lock on your phone, you can't blame me for snooping through it," she thrills with a grin that turns to a frown. "I usually don't though because you never have anything fun on it. You're so boring sometimes, Ruben."

"It's a _phone_ , not a computer," far too easily cracked open and prone to being lost for Ruben's tastes. He's heard of students who had entire dissertation papers on them and then one careless night at a bar... Ruben really prefers other means of storage. "I use it to call people. I have a laptop for everything else."

"So boring!" Laura reiterates with a pout marred by a fond smile. "You know, I'll bet Sebastian has all kinds of interesting stuff on his phone."

Ruben snorts out a short laugh. "Hardly," Sebastian is rather technologically illiterate when it comes to phones. Almost endearingly so, and Ruben hates to admit he's handed his own phone over to the man with some inane request on more than a few occasions just to see him fumble. "He has a brick flip phone. I doubt he even knows there's a camera in it, let alone how to use it."

"You two deserve each other. You're both hopeless," Laura mourns before gathering her long hair, slipping over her shoulders, up in one hand and doing _something_ to twist it up and away. She grips her fork in the slightly threatening way she does when she's forgotten to eat a few meals and stares intently at the noodles between them. "Alright, enough chitchat. This sucker's getting cold and I hate reheated pad thai. Let's finish it."

Ruben shakes his head and lets his sister have at the noodles. He's the one who'll end up with the left overs, but she'll want to try to finish more than her fair share anyway before heading back to her loft. Only to send Ruben a barrage of miserable texts asking him why he allowed her to overindulge so much. An average Friday night for them. One that had the long comfort of routine, a routine that's been established for many years now and will continue for many more regardless of the death of the people who had birthed them both.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I had too much fun.

Christmas passes with little acknowledgement from Ruben. He point blank forbade any sort of gift exchange with Sebastian when the man first remarked on the commercial monstrosity. Though he'd been tempted when Sebastian had made some very interesting comments about boxes with holes in them. Ruben had still refused because it wasn't a precedence he was sure he wanted to set between them.

Holidays meant something significant to people and finding out they're actually dating is more than enough of a commitment for Ruben to handle for the rest of the year. Maybe even well into the next.

Laura came over with two cases of boxed wine out of habit and they'd sat on his couch celebrating --"Mourning, Ruben, it's called mourning!"-- as they watched her cellphone all day long. Left to his own devices Ruben would never have taken any calls from their family. Would hang up on the seemingly annual call induced by guilt and an ignorant optimism. Laura, however, never could, and their tradition of waiting together had begun years ago because he would not leave his sister to deal with that alone.

For the first time in years it didn't ring, and Laura didn't have to answer their mother's timid questions. She didn't have to explain to a willfully blind woman why they would not buckle under the expectations of their father. For the first time Ruben didn't have to stay by Laura's side and listen to her drunkenly rage at two people who'd simply never understood that children aren't obedient little puppets to pose as they wished.

Ruben did end up holding her late at night, and not commenting on the tears that soaked into his shirt. Silently loathing the people who had birthed them more than he ever thought possible. It's a new addition to their tradition that he hopes will not be repeated.

The break eventually ends and Ruben has the distinctly annoying task of reintroducing college students to the joys of studies. The familiar rhythm of the school is soothing though and Ruben takes great pleasure in the way Marcello avoids him. The continued criticism of his stolen work is still rolling in. The consequences of publishing something that was only half finished. Everything else falls into same orderly pace that he has known and enjoyed for a few years now. Even Sebastian's erratic appearances on campus fall into a predictable order.

Ruben becomes aware that the normal order of his days has been disrupted when his assistant goes quiet. The cessation of the nonsensical prattle he's been tuning out grabs his attention better than whatever aunt or uncle had caused a family wide split this time over break. He looks up, gaze skipping over the man who is gaping and going straight to the open door.

Children are not uncommon on campus, but Ruben has never seen one make it this far inside the building before. Usually the parents have better control over their youths. Ruben has no idea how old this particular child is. Her frame with all the identifiers he'd use to deduce that is buried under multiple layers of clothing still wet from the snow that's been drifting all day. A few curls of dirty blonde hair escape from under her hat, and her face is dominated by wide brown eyes. Neither of which are useful traits for identifying anything.

"Your hair looks like Christmas," the girl states and Ruben frowns over at his assistant who is apparently at fault for drawing the child's attention. He'd left with neon green hair and come back with horribly bright red stripes in the mess. The girl squints at him with a look Ruben actually feels he can relate to. "It looks stupid."

People are fascinating creatures prone to illogical thoughts and failures of the mind. Ruben studies them but he's well aware he does not relate to many people at all. He's not bothered by it and often looks on other humans with amusement. Children are another matter entirely however. There is no consistent reasoning he can rely on with them, and people tend to scream at him when he attempts to rectify that with a line of study. They are far more alien to him than anything else and Ruben often views them with cautious distrust. This child, however, is the brutally honest type that Ruben has often thought need less censoring in their lives.

"I already told him that," Ruben says. Easily ignoring the petulant mutters of Grinch he's been getting all day to look expectantly at the door. A parent should be coming by soon. Frazzled and apologetic for their inability to watch _one_ child.

"Good," the child nods as if what he's done is terribly important. "Because it's January and that makes his hair stupider."

"Lily," Sebastian walks in through the door. He gives Ruben a quick smile before frowning down at the child, and Ruben feels something freeze up solid within himself. "What've I said about saying mean things to people?"

"Dad!" The child sighs loud and long as she gives Sebastian an almost mutinous glare. Their eyes, Ruben abruptly concludes, are exactly the same. Right down to the stubborn light in them that eventually caves under a long and silent stare. "That I'm not allowed to be an asshole like you until I'm eighteen."

"Language!" Sebastian frowns harder.

"And I can't use Mom's words until I'm sixteen," the child finishes with the kind of pout Hollywood has conditioned people to expect when a child doesn't get a piece of candy.

An act. Ruben notes the barely suppressed grin on Sebastian's face and the offended one on his assistant's. He files them away for later study when he's not stuck on the fact that this child called Sebastian father.

The frozen thing inside him, deep in his gut, is something less than fear but more than dread. Panic. Ruben clinically identifies the emotion and ruthlessly doesn't let it control him. He nods at his assistant and gets up. Taking his time as always to get ready for lunch as Sebastian and the child, Lily, continue to squabble. Little arguments thrown back and forth with no true heat and loving familiarity that's foreign to Ruben in the context of parental relationships.

It's not until they're going to the car, Lily gleefully running ahead into every pile of snow, that Sebastian unapologetically says, "My ex had a last minute appointment. No one was available to watch her."

Ruben wasn't aware that there was an ex or a child at all in Sebastian's life. A fact the man is well aware of going by the shit eating grin he's wearing when Ruben turns to glare at him. The man _knows_ how rattled he is, but Ruben refuses to let it show. "I take it we're not going to our usual place."

Their usual spot is perfect for getting the liquid lunch Ruben often needs when dealing with idiots, and has the perfect bathroom setup for the quick fuck that helps as much as the drink. It is not a place for a child. Even Ruben knows that much.

"I was thinking that Italian place," Sebastian says with a shrug. Aware of what they're skipping out on but still not apologizing for it. Admirable and irritating all in one. Something Ruben is starting to get used to when it comes to Sebastian. "The one that doesn't make me want to puke when walking in."

"Why? Does it smell bad?" Lily asks having circled around behind them somehow. Her movement isn't clumsy despite the bulk of her clothing and Ruben feels safe in putting her age between nine and thirteen. The stage before a child's body grows and becomes clumsy again. "Did you really puke? It's so cold I'll bet it turned to ice!"

"Nah, it didn't," Sebastian unlocks the doors to his car and pointedly opens the back door for Lily. "Vomit doesn't turn to ice kiddo. Trust me. I've seen enough of it rounding up drunks."

"That's only true because the alcohol content drops the freezing point, and prevents it from turning to ice," Ruben feels obliged to point out. "If you dealt with anyone who wasn't completely drunk it would be a different story."

"What's freezing point?" Lily asks, pausing in the act of getting into the car to look at Ruben. Clearly seeking her answers from him.

"I'll explain later," Sebastian cuts in. "I think Ruben needs a break from answering questions. Alright, sweetheart?"

"No, she should get an answer," despite his misgivings about children Ruben is not often annoyed by them. Their ignorance is rarely willful. Merely a byproduct of not having learned just yet, and easily rectified by a decent teacher. He waits until they're all in to twist around and face the girl.

The resulting explanation of freezing temperature and the effects on vomit --which veers into oddly specific diets that actually force Ruben to _think_ \-- lasts for the entire ride to the restaurant.

"Ok, that's enough!" Sebastian cuts off the engine and the conversation with a tone of voice Rubens never heard before. Firm but not harsh. It makes Ruben regret that they're not going to their usual place even more. "No more talk of any gross stuff until after I'm done eating. Unless you want to test the freezing point of pizza vomit."

Lily makes disgusted noises from the back and Ruben fixes Sebastian with an unimpressed look. "As if I've not had ample opportunity to see that on campus."

Calling the restaurant Italian is an insult to the Americanized version of the food let alone the actual country. It's a place aimed towards families with finicky children to feed, and it shows in how crowded the place is. One choice is as bland as the next but Lily dithers between a small pizza and chicken of some kind before deciding she wants both.

"You can get chicken on the pizza," Sebastian explains in that same tone he used in the car. A parenting trick, Ruben has guessed. Using his voice to inform Lily when she must pay attention. Or maybe it's the voice he uses at work when he's telling people how things are going to work. He's not entirely sure which just that it is starting to work on Ruben too. "Or you can get chicken nuggets with cheese sauce. You can't have both."

"But I want both!" Lily replies and there's a whine to it that Ruben associated with public tantrums. He braces himself for it but it never comes.

"You eat that much and your stomach will explode," Sebastian points to him, "ask Mr. Ruben."

Lily's head turns expectantly and Ruben arches an eyebrow at Sebastian but the man is ignoring him in favor of the menu. He's been lectured at length about telling young children things considered inappropriate. The definition of which seems to change with each person. Autopsies however have always been firmly on that list of do not tell.

The rules apparently do not apply to Lily.

"Last month we received the cadaver of a man who died at a professional eating contest. When my class removed the stomach we found that he had eaten more than his stomach could handle," Ruben wrinkles his nose in remembrance. The smell of rotten food in a body had been particularly hard to handle. Most of his students had to run out of class a few times. "Your stomach is a muscle. It will stretch for food but unless you regularly stretch it out eating too much, too fast can rupture it."

Of course the body has ways of dealing with that. If the man had only allowed himself to vomit he would have survived to go through another competition.

"Then how do fat people get so big?" Lily asks and Sebastian makes a smothered noise. Ruben wonders why for a moment before following his gaze. They've got an audience around them and there's an even dozen disapproving stares from people who really should be minding their own business.

Ruben passes a cool gaze over them all. The same one he uses to quell an unruly class and doesn't bother lowering his voice as he explains in great detail how people become obese. Also, when the looks continue, what fat looks like when the skin is peeled away during an autopsy. A few tables empty during that explanation and Sebastian has his head on the table, shoulders shaking with laughter, by the time a waiter finally sees fit to take their orders.

"Chicken nuggets. No cheese sauce," Lily informs the harried man with a disgusted look and Ruben's amused at her reaction. He doubts the cheese sauce here looks anything at all like the fat he was trying to describe with that analogy.

She hops up and takes two steps away before Sebastian catches her. "Hey, where you going?"

"The bathroom," Lily states as if that were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Don't give me that attitude. You know to ask first," Sebastian's admonition gets told to the back of her head and he sighs. "I don't know why I bother sometimes."

"Because you're a stubborn ass incapable of admitting defeat," Ruben supplies the answer graciously.

"That's how I got my amazingly well paid job, and your always cheerful presence in my life," Sebastian's grin is wide and cheerful when he turns back to the table. "You are kind of amazing though. I usually just tell her we'll Google it later when she let's loose with the firing squad of questions. Most of the time she forgets she even asked."

"Of course I answered her," Ruben scowls at the implication that he wouldn't. He only ignores stupid questions, and so far Lily hasn't asked one. The curiosity she's shown so far is something that needs to be encouraged more. Scientific progress cannot be made without it. "Questions are natural and should be encouraged not forgotten. If you don't answer it she might never learn anything which, given the sad state of public schools, could lead to me having to deal with another adult idiot who doesn't know you can't mix some chemicals together and create the elements of the periodic table!"

"Really, why not?" Sebastian asks with an innocent look that doesn't fool Ruben. Sebastian did not get as far as he did in his job by being an uneducated lout.

"We've already established you're an idiot. No need to doom your daughter to the same fate."

"Now you're sounding like my ex. You two would get along too well."

Ah, yes, the ex. Ex what though? Wife, fiancé, partner? They've deliberately avoided talk of family and Ruben finds he does not like the way it's left him blindsided this day.

"Is that something I need to worry about?" Ruben narrows his eyes in thought as he hears how the question sounds out loud. The question taking on another meaning he hadn't thought of until now.

Faithfulness has never been something he's bothered with. Impossible when he so rarely took the same man to bed with him twice. He's surprised to find he actually cares about the answer now. There's a possessive twinge to his thoughts when he thinks about this nameless ex.

"No," Sebastian states firmly, no hint of a lie about him. "Myra and I.... We drive each other nuts and not in a good way. Took us a while to figure out we were better off as friends than anything else."

That's good to hear though Ruben covers the feeling up tight. "How about me?" Sebastian prompts after a moment. "That something I have to worry about from you?"

"I was trying to hit on your partner, but you kept getting in the way."

"Is that what that was? I could've sworn you were thinking about eating his face with the way you were looking at him."

"That too," Ruben smiles pleasantly at the affronted look he gets. "Joseph is very pretty, Seb."

Ruben identifies indignation, amusement, and something that just might be jealousy in Sebastian before it's masked with a weary sigh and shake of his head. "Tell me about it, I can't let him out of my sight in parts of the city. He almost got abducted by traffickers last month."

Perhaps literally despite the easy laugh Sebastian lets loose afterwards. Ruben is very aware of the black-market that runs through Krimson City. It's mostly organs after all and the school often finds itself in the middle of it in one way or another. Human trafficking is done with less frequency but he is aware that it still happens.

"What do you do at the school?" Lily slides back into her seat and fires the question off before she's even settled. "You're not a student, you're too smart."

"Yes, I am," Ruben agrees easily and ignores the snort from Sebastian. It might be conceited but it is only the truth. "I'm a professor there. I teach mostly biology and neuroscience," he gets two equally blank looks for that and doesn't bother hiding his sigh. He then repeats one of the descriptions of his work that Laura oh so dearly loves to throw around, only because he can see their food is making its way to their table. "I teach students how to perform experiments on the human brain."

"You're a mad scientist!" Lily says after a moment of consideration and seems ecstatic by the observation.

Ruben doesn't flinch though the accusation of mental instability has always been thrown his way. "No, I am certainly not mad."

"But you're not happy," Lily says with a frown and Ruben wonders what happiness has to do with insanity.

It takes him a moment to realize there's been a miscommunication. One that arises based on language and the many different meanings of words. Ruben is used to such misunderstandings though it happens most often with international students and faculty.

"No but he is gay," Sebastian puts in with a grin. Ruben wonders how many more affronted looks they'd get if he were to lean over and bite the infuriating asshole.

"I doubt I've ever been happy enough to qualify as being gay," word play is not his strong suit but it's easy enough at the low level Sebastian is taking it.

"You're using words weirdly," Lily scowls up at them both. "Why do adults always do that? I hate it!"

So does Ruben. He's usually the one who comes up poorly when these games start. It'd been worse when he was younger. In the years between Laura leaving and him being disowned he'd been alone. With no one to turn to when people or classmates seemed to know something he never did. It's not a fond memory.

"Mad is a word that can mean angry or insane. Gay can mean happy or can be used to describe people who are interested in same sex partners," Ruben explains simply when Sebastian only looks interested in laughing some more. His hands twitch, wanting to follow the printed words of the dictionaries Laura used when she could to explain things to him.

The waiter arrives with a tray precariously balanced and begins to lay out their meal before them. Breaded chicken for Lily, a greasy pizza for Sebastian, and a bastardized version of stromboli that is the only thing Ruben can stomach in this place. The last of which he almost tips into Ruben's lap when Lily whips her head towards her father and asks, "Dad, are you gay?"

The correct term would probably be bisexual, but they haven't discussed sexual orientation outside of Ruben's orders for 'Harder' and 'Now, Sebastian!' He rescues his meal instead of answering. Content to allow Sebastian to handle a few questions on his own. The waiter is more careful with the drinks, his face carefully blank even as his ears turn red, before walking away. In the full minute it takes Sebastian to shut his gaping mouth Ruben tries to calculate the chance of the waiter being amused or mortally offended. He is woefully lacking data to make an accurate estimate though.

"No, honey, I'm-" Sebastian's eyes flick helplessly to Ruben and he stalls whatever he was about to say. "You see, I like guys and girls."

Interesting. It seems like the man hasn't actually explained any of this before to his daughter. Ruben wonders if he told her he was simply meeting a friend for lunch, and if maybe he should have been a little more discrete. A review of the evening doesn't turn up anything that shouldn't be inappropriate though. Nothing beyond the morbid questions Sebastian hadn't tried to stop. 

Lily tears apart one of the pieces of nuggets on her plate as Sebastian starts to fiddle with the pizza in front of him. Distracted as he is, he gets more of it on the table than his plate. Not hard when he's still keeping one wary eye on the girl. Ruben finds himself fascinated by the sudden wariness.

"What's that called then?" Lily asks and Sebastian jerks a bit, a greasy ball of meat rolling off the table an onto his lap. "Dad, what's that called?"

"Uh, bi, that's uh- crap! I've got a meeting after this," Sebastian stands suddenly and does not fool Ruben one bit as he backs away, pointing vaguely at the bathroom area. "Be right back!"

"Coward," Ruben mutters even as he suddenly feels the need to be as far away from the table as possible when Lily's brown eyes turn almost immediately on him. "He doesn't want to answer you so he's retreating in the hopes you'll forget your question by the time he comes back."

"It's ok, Mom already explained it to me when she said you two're dating," Lily sits up straight and stops tearing her food into smaller chunks, and fixes all her attention on him. "Do you love my dad?" Lily asks after a very frank and somewhat worrying stare.

"What, absolutely not!" The denial burst from him with an intensity that startles him. Love? How ridiculous. Ruben tolerates Sebastian at most. The man is attractive enough and more than just good at fucking. The extended social context the man seems to enjoy forcing on Ruben isn't terrible though Ruben is starting to revise that opinion now.

"Oh," Lily sounds disappointed but not upset. "So you're not getting married. Dad said you weren't but I thought I'd ask anyway. He misses things like that."

Marriage? Who the hell was talking about marriage to the child? Icy panic tries to claw its way up his back but Ruben stubbornly refuses to let it. He will not be unnerved by a mere child. Daughter of his- Of Sebastian or not. "A marriage isn't something you enter into lightly. I've only known your father for a month. That is far to soon to even think about it."

Lily looks doubtful but doesn't push the question more and Ruben feels his nerves settle a little when the child goes back to her food. Seemingly content to get it into the smallest pieces possible before consuming them by the hand full. Ruben watches her warily for a moment to be sure though. His own food losing steam and heat rapidly enough that the cheese inside is congealing into a mass reminiscent of fat by the time Sebastian decides to crawl back.

He shrugs at Ruben's pointed glare before giving his meal his full attention, and Ruben acidly thinks it's a good thing they didn't go to any of their usual places with the conveniently empty and spacious bathrooms after all. They might be good for a good fuck or two, but even those places wouldn't look the other way at bloodstains on the walls.

~

The meal goes surprisingly well after that. Lily does not drop any other distressing questions about the two of them at least. Though another table empties prematurely when Ruben explains what processed chicken is exactly, and which internal organs are ground up for chicken nuggets. Much to Sebastian's obvious disgust and the girl's delight. Messy surprise as the day has been, he's surprisingly relaxed when Sebastian drops him off back at campus. 

"I'll see you tomorrow," Sebastian says with a cocky grin and Ruben reminds himself to remember how he was thrown to the wolf the next time they're alone. Not tonight, Sebastian knows better than that, but tomorrow sometime.

"Yes, you will," Ruben doesn't bother putting any emphasis on the words. The other man will understand them as they are or will get a very nasty surprise later. Either works for Ruben.

He hears the rear door open and slam as he turns away. The squelching of boots in the muddy slush of the street doesn't move to the recently vacated seat though. "Mr. Ruben!"

Lily skids around in front of him before he can turn and the smile she wears is broad and familiar. Like her father, but severely lacking in the assholish charm. Ruben's still wary though as she holds something up for him. "Merry Christmas!"

It's shining and chaotic. It takes Ruben's eyes a moment to focus in on it and actually pull apart meaning from the thing that had been placed in his automatically outstretched palm. It's a paper deer, crudely cut out and liberally decorated with green and red glitter. A loop of red yarn extends from its back and Ruben carefully puts a finger through it. Holding his non glitter infested hand well away from his body.

"I didn't have time to make you a proper present," Lily says with a glare behind him. Ruben turns to see Sebastian is slouched in his seat, pointedly not looking at them and covering his mouth. "So I'll make something extra special for you next time!"

Which is finally a goodbye, as the girl flies back around the car to climb quickly into the front passenger seat. Sebastian finally turns his head to look at him and his brown eyes are filled with laughter. "Later, Ruben."

"Later," Ruben grits out and this time there is no way that the other man misses anything in his words. Later indeed.

~

Ruben does not text his sister to tell her about the child. He has more than enough common sense to know that letting Laura know that will have consequences on his life that he is not prepared to deal with. With that in mind he looks at the mutated reindeer thing Lily had seen fit to gift him with and wonders if throwing it away will be more trouble than it's worth.

There is no place in the apartment that Ruben can safely store the demented thing in that Laura does not periodically poke through. Not because she is looking for anything incriminating, but merely out of restless habit. She steals clothes from his closet, commanders his bathroom when she's forgotten to pay her water bill, and the drawer of his nightstand is regularly stocked with necessities that Ruben himself has never had the slightest inclination of buying for himself or a sexual partner.

He's oddly reluctant to toss the mass of paper, glitter, and paste in the trash bin though. It worries him that he's even considering this at all. It's not like Lily is ever going to be brought over to his apartment, tonight was only a fluke after all as Sebastian had assured him, the chances of him ever seeing the child again are about the same as Marcello being struck by lightning. Existent but highly unlikely to happen in Ruben's life time.

He settles for putting it in the small cabinet in the corner of his kitchen that was made to hide away brooms and other cleaning supplies. It is the only place he can't ever see Laura willingly searching through. Not that there would be much searching. Ruben keeps a vacuum cleaner, a swiffer, and almost nothing else in there. The gift hangs lopsidedly on one of the hooks mean for a mop and glimmers a bit as he stares at it. Still baffled by the whole evening. 

Shaking his head he shuts the door and heads back to his room to change. Firmly putting the matter out of his mind. There's no use thinking overmuch on it as it will never happen again.


End file.
